Count Us In
Presented on Monday 23 June 2008
The Production Process and Key Messages
Eileen Burns
The Production Process
- HMIE/NDCS joint venture
- Focus groups
- Series of visits
- Parent questionnaires
- Report on findings
- Self evaluation tool
The Focus Group
- Teachers of Deaf Pupils
- Audiologist
- SALT
- Deaf representatives
- Representative from Moray House
- Parents of deaf children
- Educational Psychologist
- Mainstream DHT
- Representatives from voluntary organisations
- HMIE
Format of Document
- Part 1: the quality of education for deaf pupils.
Report on practices observed during visits and also HMIE inspections. - Part
2 Planning for Excellence for deaf pupils.
Arranged under key dimensions from Journey to Excellence part 2
Signposts to excellence
Part 1 is organised under following key areas
- Accessing the curriculum (5.1)
- Teaching for effective learning. (5.2)
- Meeting pupils' needs. (5.3)
- Expectations and promoting achievement. (5.5)
- Partnership with parents. (5.7)
Journey to Excellence
Signposts are there to help plan the journey to
excellence.
Focus on individual deaf pupil's experiences
Accessing the Curriculum
An appropriate curriculum: well-planned personalisation; for example:
- deaf studies
- opportunities to develop spoken language
- BSL taught as a first language or second language.
A broad curriculum: balance of specialisation with breadth; Full access:
- full access to learning in the classroom, assembly hall, etc
- full access to the extended curriculum
- Good listening environments
Teaching for Effective Learning
- Broad learning experiences
- Lesson content reflects presence of deaf pupil in class
- Teaching literacy ( alternative approaches which reflect deaf pupils access to English)
- Deaf Awareness
- dispelling deficit model of deafness.
- strategies for effective inclusion
- Incidental learning
Meeting Learning Needs
- Meeting linguistic needs.
- Needs led not policy led.
- Quality BSL interpretation.
- High quality technology (independent learning)
- Pupils involved in planning their support
- Meeting other deaf young people
- Deaf awareness as part of PSE for hearing pupils
- Appropriate PSE for deaf pupils
- Links with deaf community
- Deaf role models
Expectations and promoting achievement
- High expectations are key to success.
- High level of pastoral support.
- Monitor achievement
- Address underachievement
- Pupils who could access class lessons were achieving well (developed language skills English or BSL)
Partnership with Parents
- Parents are the most important member of the support team.
- Strong links with home to allow learning to continue there
- Support to learn sign language
- Involved in planning process.
- Parents are aware that decisions made can be reviewed and adapted with time.
- Clear information regarding their child's progress.
Meeting the needs of deaf pupils on an individual broad basis and being responsive to changing needs.